Taking PXI to the next level
Mike Dewey of Geotest describes the philosophy behind the company’s PXI introductions.
By Richard A. Quinnell, Contributing Technical Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 11/1/2007
At the recent Autotestcon show (September 17–20, Baltimore, MD), Geotest—Marvin Test Systems introduced several new PXI instruments, including a PXI Express 100-MHz digital test instrument and a digital instrument that can support an I/O signal range of 25 Vp-p. The company also unveiled a unique offering: a PXI standards module that provides NIST-traceable voltage, resistance, and frequency standards for in-system calibration and certification of test systems.
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| Michael Dewey Senior Product Marketing Manager, Geotest Courtesy of Geotest—Marvin Test Systems |
Q: What prompted Geotest to create so many new products?
A: We’ve been in PXI almost since its inception and our customers are now beyond the early adoption stage and into the second wave. They are looking for that next iteration in technology to address increasingly sophisticated applications, and we try to bring extra features and value for customers who need something a little more special. PXI is now 10 years old. It’s time to move beyond commodity items.
Q: So, these new product introductions are customer driven?
A: Well over 50% of our new products are the direct result of conversations with customers with a special request. The standards module, for instance, started with a specific conversation. We do validate new ideas with market research and by talking with other customers, of course, but we pride ourselves on being responsive to our customers both in product features as well as service.
Q: How is PXI Express affecting product development?
A: We were right in at the front end of PXI Express. It’s the logical evolution of PXI, and we made sure we were up to date with its development.
We started working on products more than a year ago. At first, it was hard to find CPUs with PXIe interfaces, although it’s not a problem anymore. We’re using it in our new digital instruments, because our designs have deep memory so there is a lot of data to load and unload. PXIe makes a significant difference in the time needed to set up a tester and read results.
Q: Do you see manufacturing test as the next big market for PXI?
A: PXI started out in R&D dealing with limited prototypes and is now moving to the manufacturing space. It’s part of the natural evolution for a test and measurement product. Also, we are seeing the VXI platform getting “long in the tooth,” with very little new coming out in VXI. As a result, people in manufacturing have to move away from the VXI space to another platform. They are comfortable with card-based modular architectures, however, so PXI is a natural step for them.
Q: What challenges does PXI still face?
A: One general issue is: Can I rely on my IC suppliers to keep providing the parts I need? Test systems have to stay around 5 to 10 years—a long time compared to the life cycle of a typical IC. It’s a constant challenge for everyone to ensure that we can keep producing and supporting our products.
| References |
| To read more about the use of PXI instruments in manufacturing test, see "PXI aids manufacturing test," in the September 2007 issue of the “PXI Test Report.” |
